This invention relates to the field of child restraints for motor vehicles and to the field of devices used to attach child restraints to motor vehicles. More particularly, the present invention relates to devices for attaching child restraints to lower and upper anchors provided in motor vehicles specifically provided for the purpose of securing child restraints.
Child restraints for motor vehicles are widely used by operators of motor vehicles when traveling with children. Child restraints generally are formed from a plastic shell and may include padding and/or a harness. Child restraints are typically attached to a vehicle's seats using either the seatbelts provided on the vehicle's seats or by using an anchoring system provided specifically for use with child restraints. In the United States, most vehicles manufactured after Sep. 1, 2002, are required to include LATCH (“lower anchors and tethers for children”) attachments which provide two lower anchors, one on each side of the seating position, and a tether anchor above and behind the seatback.
Many child restraints incorporating the LATCH system provide an attachment means consisting of segment of webbing that extends through a portion of the child restraint and extends beyond the seat on each side. Each end of the segment of webbing includes a clip designed to be connected to the respective lower LATCH anchor. Typically the segment of webbing also includes a buckle for shortening the overall length of the segment such that the child restraint is held tightly on the vehicle seat. While this method of attaching the child restraint may provide some advantages over securing the child restraint with the vehicle's seatbelts, it is sometimes inconvenient and difficult for the caregiver to tighten the webbing. Additionally, after the webbing is tightened, there may be a substantial tag end which may become inconvenient for other occupants of the vehicle.
Other child restraints incorporate retractor mechanisms designed to provide proper tension and to retract excess webbing between the child restraint and the LATCH anchors. See, e.g., U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0082129. While these child restraints address some of the disadvantages of other LATCH attachment mechanisms, other disadvantages remain. For example, when attaching the child restraint to a vehicle, the caregiver must depress one or more buttons on the child restraint in order to extend the web and connect the webbing to the LATCH anchors.